Heart of Darkness: The Return of Majora's Mask
by Lord Siravant
Summary: In his latest scheme, Ganondorf has acquired the legendary Majora's Mask and plots to use it to take over Hyrule. But can Ganondorf control the omnicidal god trapped within, or will the Triforce fall into the hands of an evil greater than himself?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: Ganon and the Mask**

He had done it. Again. Ganondorf, self-proclaimed King of Darkness, had escaped his latest imprisonment. Of course, this was to be expected from a man like Ganondorf, who was terrible at staying dead. But what was NOT expected was how quickly it had occurred. Then again, he had been sealed by the Four Sword, which in all fairness was nowhere near as powerful as the Master Sword. Ganon's desire for vengeance was greater than ever, but he understood that making himself known now would only create problems for him, problems he was unfit to deal with at this time. For the first few weeks since his return, he had quietly built a hidden stronghold in the shadows of Death Mountain away from prying eyes and was now researching possible methods of defeating his accursed nemesis, Link.

The tall, muscular man sat in his personal chambers, reading several books he had stolen from the Hyrule Town library during the night when no one was around. He had already gone through two spellbooks and found nothing he didn't know already or could put to good use. He irritably ran his fingers through his fiery red hair as he tossed the third book aside. _Stupid Hylians, _he thought. _With such simple spells like these, how have they even managed to survive all these years? Bah! Useless junk!_

He picked up the last book and read the cover. _Magical Artifacts of the Hylian Age, _Ganondorf read. _Perhaps this will yield better results._

He flipped through the pages, glancing at various pictures of amulets and stones. Ganondorf was getting frustrated as he neared the end of the book. Just as he was about to scream with rage and throw the book at the wall, something caught his eye. Ganondorf stared at the picture on the page. It was some kind of mask. It was heart-shaped, with two spikes on top and four running along each side. It was mostly red and purple, with various orange, yellow, and white markings adorning its face. But the thing that Ganondorf noticed first was the eyes. The eyes took up a sizeable portion of the mask, and were a fierce orange and yellow. They looked full of power and menace. Intrigued, Ganondorf began reading the inscription detailing the strange mask.

_Majora's Mask was an item capable of immense destruction. Inhabited by the spirit of the demon-like god of chaos and destruction, Majora, it was created by a race of dark magic-wielding people. With the help of the Golden Goddesses, Majora was sealed within the mask. However, Majora was able to twist his prison into a new weapon for himself when the tribe began using the mask for hexing rituals. Eventually its destructive power grew out of control, and the tribe sealed away the mask in fear. Centuries later, a mask salesman found the mask, which was soon stolen from him by an imp. The mask almost managed to destroy the world using the imp as a pawn but was defeated by the original Hero of Time. The salesman reclaimed the mask but soon found that Majora was still residing within the mask, but had been forced into dormancy, and so he hid it in an unknown location. It is believed that the salesman's descendants are aware of where the mask is located, but they are unwilling to reveal this information._

A thin smile crept across the dark man's lips as he finished reading the inscription. "Yes," he whispered to himself. "This is most promising. I will reawaken this Majora's spirit and use it as my own personal weapon! Surely this thing will not be able to overpower the mind of the Wielder of the Triforce of Power! With its power at my command, all of Hyrule shall finally be mine!"

Ganondorf laughed as he exited his room. He passed several of his minions in the halls, smirking as they flinched from being touched by his cape. He had eschewed his armor for now in favor of his traditional Gerudo garb, which did not make the easily noticeable clanking noises his armor did. He stepped out of his fortress and gazed at the moon as it slowly made its way towards the horizon. He then disappeared in a cloud of dark magic.

He reappeared just outside Hyrule Town, just out of sight of the guards standing outside the city gates. Using a combination of his magic and the thieving skills he had learned from his people, he managed to sneak past the guards and enter the city. He carefully maneuvered through the alleys and shadows as he searched the town for the mask shop. Eventually he came across it in the southwestern section of Hyrule Town. The dark king looked around to make sure no one was nearby, and then teleported inside the locked building and quickly found a place to hide. Now all he had to do was wait for the shopkeeper to arrive.

Hours passed. The sun rose over the mountains, and people began to wake up from the night's slumber. The stores began opening one by one, until finally the mask salesman unlocked the door to his shop and changed the closed sign to open. The man whistled a cheerful tune as he neared Ganondorf's hiding place. Once the man was close enough, Ganondorf sprang out of his hiding place and grabbed the man by the collar and put his other hand over the man's mouth to stifle his yelp of surprise. "All right, salesman," Ganondorf hissed. "I know you are aware of the location of the item called Majora's Mask. Tell me where it is hidden if you value your life."

Ganondorf was uncertain whether the color left the salesman's face because he realized who he was talking to or because of the mention of the terrible mask. "Y-you…you can't have the Heart of Darkness! The disaster you would cause…it would be cataclysmic!"

"Do you truly believe I, Ganondorf, Holder of the Triforce of Power, would not be able to control the power of Majora's Mask? You fool! You underestimate my abilities!"

"You underestimate Majora's!" the salesman retorted despite his fear. "His insanity and cruelty know no limits! He kills just to see the blood! He will destroy you, Ganon! He's not interested in ultimate power or riches or revenge. He's only interested in inflicting pain to others. It's all a big joke to him! He'll toy with your mind, push you over the edge, and then he'll ruin everything you've worked so hard for!"

Ganondorf paid little heed to the man's words, for he was arrogant and overconfident in his abilities. That was before he heard the man speak again. "I would rather live under your rule than die under Majora's."

"How heartwarming," Ganondorf answered after a moment. "But flattery shall get you nowhere, mask-seller. I want that mask! Tell me where it is hidden, or I'll destroy every mask in this store, and you along with it!"

"All right!" the salesman conceded. "I'll…I'll tell you where…but you must first promise me one thing…"

"Me? Make promises to someone like you?"

"Please, Ganon! If you wish to remain ruler of Hyrule, you must heed this advice!"

Ganondorf sighed. "Very well. What is it?"

"When you take over Hyrule, I want you to destroy that mask. If you can. I don't know if it's possible, but…do whatever you can to ensure it can never be used again."

"I'll consider it. Now tell me where it is."

Knowing this was the best he was going to get from the King of Darkness, he said, "It's in the Lost Woods, under the care of the Skull Kids. That is their penance for one of their own stealing Majora's Mask from my great-great-grandfather. Tell them the Happy Mask Salesman sent you to claim the mask. They will give it to you after you play a game with the one who stole it from my ancestor. There is no other way to persuade them."

"I see," Ganondorf muttered. "Well, since I can't have you tell everyone I'm back…"

Before the salesman could protest, Ganondorf unsheathed a Gerudo dagger and plunged it through the man's back into his heart, killing him instantly. He gently laid the body behind the counter where it wouldn't be easily noticed. _Now, I'll have to make this look like a simple robbery gone wrong so no one will get suspicious, _Ganondorf thought, looking around. Suddenly he noticed the register where the man's rupees were kept. _Hmm, this man won't be needing his rupees anymore…._

Ganondorf casually went over to the register and emptied it of its contents, putting the rupees in a pouch at his side. "Now to find that mask," he muttered as he teleported away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: The Skull Kids' Game**

Ganondorf appeared at the borders of the Lost Woods and wordlessly entered. He walked through the foliage, keeping a sharp eye out for the troublesome imps as he headed deeper into the Lost Woods. A few hours had gone by since he had entered, and Ganondorf was having no luck finding the little punks. The Gerudo King was becoming frustrated and was about to blast a tree apart with his magic when a playful, child-like voice said, "You look lost."

Ganondorf whirled around and glared at the childlike creature perched on a large branch, staring at him mischievously. It had a plain, wooden face overshadowed by a large straw hat. It was clothed in ragged yellow and orange attire with witch-like shoes. Its glowing eyes did not intimidate the Gerudo in the slightest. "You there!" Ganondorf declared with menacing authority. "I was sent by the Happy Mask Salesman to retrieve Majora's Mask! Take me to your leader so I can play his stupid game and claim his prize!"

The Skull Kid was taken aback by Ganondorf's forceful attitude and his demands, but he nodded his head and grinned. "Follow me! Hee hee!"

Ganondorf trudged through the Lost Woods, his cape continuously snagging on branches and bushes. Finally the Dark Lord decided to unfasten his cape and carry it in his hands. The Skull Kid nimbly jumped through the branches above Ganondorf, looking behind him occasionally to make sure Ganondorf was still following. "Hurry up!" he declared.

Ganondorf growled in response but continued on, and after about an hour of this, they arrived at a tree much larger than the others in the middle of a clearing, where numerous other Skull Kids were gathered. As soon as they saw the newcomer, they all dropped what they were doing and surrounded the Gerudo king. His escort pointed at a particular Skull Kid. "You! This guy was sent by that Mask Salesman! He's here for the mask."

This Skull Kid looked at Ganondorf curiously and said, "Really? What's he want it for?"

"I don't know," Ganondorf lied. "He didn't tell me."

The Skull Kid shrugged. "Oh well. So you want Majora's Mask? You have to play our game first!"

"So I heard," Ganondorf muttered irritably. "So what is this game you wish to play? It better not take too long. I have much to do."

The Skull Kid laughed. "That depends on how good you are! The game is tag, and the goal is to catch all six of us! Don't worry, we won't go too far away from here!"

"…Fine. Go hide, though it won't do you any good."

The Skull Kid then said, "You have to close your eyes for twenty seconds so you can't see which direction we went! And no peeking!"

It took all of Ganondorf's willpower not to reduce the Skull Kid to cinders as he growled, "Fine."

The King of Darkness closed his eyes, using magic to pinpoint where each of them went. When twenty seconds had passed, Ganondorf opened his eyes and took off after a Skull Kid. It wasn't long before he found the first one and caught him. "One down!" he said gleefully and disappeared.

As Ganondorf went after the second, he thought, _I don't believe this. I, the great Ganondorf, King of Darkness, reduced to playing a childish game with a bunch of immature demons! As soon as I take over Hyrule, I'll lock them all up in cages and feed them to Dodongos!_

It took him longer to catch the second Skull Kid, and even longer to catch the third. Finding them was easy enough, but he realized they were getting harder to catch. It only made sense, though, since this game was somewhat a test for Ganondorf, but he still didn't like it. About two hours later, he was down to the final Skull Kid, the one who had once held the dangerous Majora's Mask. When Ganondorf found him, he immediately began jumping across the trees, giggling. Ganondorf gave chase, desperate to capture him. Several times he got close, but each time the Skull Kid barely dodged. Panting, he slowed as the Skull Kid disappeared into the foliage once more. He gasped for air as he hissed, "That…is…_it_!"

He pinpointed the Skull Kid's location and teleported right above the tree where Skull Kid was hiding. He immediately sprang down and tackled the Skull Kid to the ground. "Got you, you little punk!" he roared.

He let the Skull Kid loose, who brushed the dirt off himself and said, "You're good, mister. You win! Follow me back to our tree, and I'll give you the mask."

The Skull Kid led Ganondorf back to the clearing, where the other Skull Kids were waiting patiently. Underneath the tree was a treasure chest. The Skull Kid hopped over to the chest and opened it, taking out a purple heart-shaped mask. He then handed it to Ganondorf, who inspected it to see if it was genuine. When he gazed at its eyes, though, he was sure it was real. The eyes seemed full of malicious power that couldn't possibly be fake. Indeed Ganondorf felt as though that piercing gaze was capable of sucking in his soul. Satisfied, he looked up and suddenly noticed that he was alone. As he turned his head to see where they had gone, he heard the voice of the Skull Kid say, "Thanks for playing with us!"

Ganondorf scoffed to himself and then glanced at the mask he had acquired. This "Majora" had once been defeated by his nemesis, Link, so it made sense to Ganondorf that it would cooperate with him in its desire for vengeance. With that, he teleported away back to his hidden fortress, unaware of the consequences of his actions that would follow and the chain of events he had set in motion.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: Domestic Affairs**

Princess Zelda shifted uncomfortably in her throne as she heard an advisor fill her in on the latest news in the kingdom. In the ten years since Ganondorf's last attack, her father's health had failed him, leaving her the sole remaining member of the Royal Family. As such, she had taken up the mantle of responsibility that was the Queen of Hyrule. Even with the various tasks she had to take care of as ruler, life had become rather mundane for her. Sometimes she almost wished Vaati or Ganondorf would return and kidnap her so Link could save her. It made her feel…appreciated. Plus she knew that fights between Link and Vaati were, for a minor part, a fight for her affections, as the Wind Mage at least had romantic intentions for her, unlike Ganondorf. But this life in the castle was too boring. As she rested her head in her hand and half-listened to the advisor, she wondered how Ganondorf could possibly want this job so badly. The next bit of news then made her snap to attention. "And this afternoon, the proprietor of the Happy Mask Shop was found murdered in his shop. Victim of a robbery, it seems. His money was missing."

"That's terrible!" Zelda responded, putting a hand to her mouth. "Send his family my condolences. Have they found a possible suspect yet?"

"I'm afraid not, Your Majesty. Criminals are few and far between these days, thanks to your generous leadership. Most of them are just thieves and are easily apprehended. Rarely does this serious a crime occur."

Zelda sighed. "It's unfortunate. He was very helpful in keeping people's spirits up during the recovery times."

"Do not fret, milady," the advisor assured her. "The guards will soon find the perpetrator and justice will be served."

"Of course," Zelda replied. "Anything else?"

"That is all, milady."

"Then you are excused, Nigel."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Nigel bowed and walked out of the throne room. Zelda shook her head at the advisor's words. In truth, she had little faith in the Royal Guards and other soldiers who patrolled the town due to their incompetence and inexperience. She had wanted Link to train them, but thought better of it when he expressed his desire to return to his old life. Speaking of which, she hadn't seen Link for a while, not since her father died and he had come to bid farewell to the king and catch up on old times. He had apparently become close friends with a farm girl named Romani and had decided to become a worker there. She chuckled slightly at the notion of the boy responsible for defeating Vaati and Ganondorf squeezing milk out of a cow's udders. Whatever made him happy…

Zelda sighed and rubbed her head. It was another one of those days.


	4. Chapter 4

**I know I'm busy with exams and War of the Golden Powers, but I decided to give my fellow FF author fleets another chapter of this story as a Christmas present. ^^ Merry Christmas!**

**XXXXXXXX**

**Chapter Four: The Dark One's Reawakening**

Ganondorf strode past his minions, tightly clutching Majora's Mask as he approached his private quarters. A Stalfos saw the mask's eyes and visibly backed away, unnerved. Ganondorf smirked as he passed the skittish skeleton and entered his room, slamming the door. Once he was alone, he held the mask up to his face, gazing into its face in all its sinister glory. He then slowly placed it over his face.

XXXXXXX

_Hnnnhh…? I am…awake…I feel…Yes…I feel a soul desiring my power! A corrupted soul, filled with much power! Hee hee hee… Time to play again…Soon I shall spread chaos and fear, but most of all…I will destroy! HAHAHAHAHA!...Wait…this power…it feels familiar…No, it can't be! The Golden Power flows through his veins…The Crest of Power…So the power of my dear sister lies before me…This is too perfect! This power will be mine! Oh, the look on Din's face when she sees her gift to the mortal world at my fingertips will be priceless!...Let the game begin…hee hee hee._

XXXXXXX

As Ganondorf put the mask on, he felt an almost foreign power course through his veins, his muscles, his very soul. It felt good to the Dark Lord. He laughed as he felt his own strength increase. "Yes! Majora, God of Demons! Bend to my will and fill me with your power!"

Outside the fortress, the sky around Death Mountain took on a sinister tint of red. The mountain itself shuddered as a wave of fire and rocks erupted from its gaping maw and cascaded down the mountainside. The monsters guarding the entrance to the fortress abandoned their posts and took shelter inside, watching as Death Mountain violently protested the evil deity's return. Throughout the land, a creeping sense of doom began gnawing at the people's insides, though they did not know why yet.

Ganon reveled in the moment, allowing the mask's power to seep into his veins and augment his own strength. It was then he heard a distorted voice in his head speak.

_Old man, you have reawakened me. Why do you seek my power?_

Ganondorf, startled, whirled around. "Who's there?" he growled. "Show yourself!"

_You cannot see me…I am in your mind. Why have you awakened me?_

"I want the powers you possess! I need them in order to take over Hyrule! It would be in your best interests to comply. My enemy is the ancestor of the one who last defeated you."

There was a short pause, and then Majora spoke again. _You speak of the boy dressed in green who holds the power of Farore herself?_

"I thought you might remember."

_Yes. I remember. Toying with his mind was most amusing…But his will was strong. I gave him the mask of the Fierce Deity in an effort to drive him to madness…But Farore's gift overcame my trap. He didn't play nice…_

"Lend me your power, and I will ensure you have your revenge."

_Revenge? Our little confrontation was nothing more than a game. What use do I have for vengeance?_

"It's…" Ganondorf attempted to find a word that would satisfy the deity. "…Fun."

Majora considered Ganondorf's words. _I like the way you think, wielder of the Gift of Din._

"The Gift of Din? Do you mean the Triforce of Power?"

_So that's what you mortals like to call it…You seem like you'll be lots of fun. Very well, my power is at your command, Ganon, King of Darkness. Hee hee hee…_

"Wait! How did you know my name?"

Ganondorf received no response. He then removed the mask from his face and set it down on the table. The Dark King shivered. He felt uncomfortable from the fact that Majora had probed his mind. But he was a god, so it was to be expected, or so thought Ganondorf. The Gerudo then left the room to address other matters.

As soon as the door shut, the mask shuddered. The eyes lit up as the Heart of Darkness rose into the air and hovered over the table. "What a fool. Already I have siphoned a nice portion of his inherent power from him. But Din's Gift can wait. Don't want to make him suspicious. I will seize it in good time. And then I'll reduce this world my sisters strove so hard to create to cinders! I'll have lots of fun!"


End file.
